The tireless spirit of unity emerges as the one inexhaustible source of strength in John Steinbeck's migrant worker classic The Grapes of Wrath. As the Joad family's world steadily crumbles, mutual hope preserves the members' sense of pride, courage and determination. A lonely man has a bleak future; with others to love and be loved by, no matter how materially destitute one is, life is rich. This altruism, however, is not immediate; throughout the book several characters move from affected altruism to unconscious magnanimity. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Tom Joad, recently paroled, has his first encounter with altruism as he attempts to hitch a ride with a truck driver whose employer has outlawed the practice. When the truck driver points out the "No Riders" sign (11) that his truck bears, Tom replies, "But sometimes a boy will be a good boy even if some rich bastard makes him wear a sticker." (11) Steinbeck cleverly cornered the man using a tool often used in Depression-era literature: the classification of wealthy perpetrators as anonymous, thus convincing the truck driver that he is "not someone a rich bastard could pick up kicks." (11) However, this generous gesture is caused by shame and guilt, not by an independent moral factor. The notion of collective spirit is explored when Tom meets ex-preacher Casy. Casy abandoned classical religion because it lacks pragmatism and overemphasizes escapism. In a thesis that is repeated many times, he says: "Perhaps it is all men and women we love; perhaps this is the Holy Spirit, the human spirit, Perhaps all men have a great soul and every body is a part of it." (33) At this point, however, Tom remains skeptical. "Joad's eyes fell to the ground, as if he could not meet the naked honesty in the preacher's eyes. "You can't keep a church with ideas like that." (33) The sharing develops further when Tom, taking Casy under the his wing, meets an old friend, Muley, although he is a wanderer, has just killed the rabbits in possession Steinbeck shows the transition to unconscious unity as Casy asks Muley if he wants to share: “I have no choice in the matter. , what I mean, if one guy has something to eat and another guy is hungry, why, the first guy has no choice." (66) Combining in organized efforts is an elusive goal rarely achieved in the novel. The characters dream of unions in several places: "If we were all equally mad, Tommy wouldn't chase anyone" (104) But he says to calm an irate Tom, and is then reiterated by Tom in reference to a strike: "Well, Suppose people got together and said, "Let them rot." It won't be long before the price goes up, by God!" (336) These ideas are dismissed as unattainable and remain unrealized until the Joads enter the self-governing commune. Synergy is the main theme there; Tom explains this further as he digs a ditch: "A pickaxe is a useful tool, if you don't fight it. You and the pick work together." (407) This contrasts with the description of the tractors plowing the earth: "The earth bore under the iron, and under the iron it gradually died; for he was neither loved nor hated, he had no prayers nor curses." (49) Just as people must work together, humans and the earth must exist in harmony to survive. The movement towards unconscious altruism occurs during the journey westward. Meeting with the Wilson family. But he reassures them that following them "will not be a burden. Everyone does.